


Overprotective

by HiddenViolet



Series: Violet's December Writing 2019 [9]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:21:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiddenViolet/pseuds/HiddenViolet
Summary: Fluff - All of this added to the fact that Malcolm thought he was being treated like a child or an adorable puppy that had wandered into the precinct, and now they were all taking care of it.
Series: Violet's December Writing 2019 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559452
Comments: 6
Kudos: 106





	Overprotective

**Author's Note:**

> The response to these has been amazing. Seriously guys, I love you all.

Malcolm never really knew what family should be like. Even before he had found out what his father was and their family had fallen apart, the Whitlys weren’t the poster family. They had too much money, they were too formal, too stiff. Neither of his parents believed in smothering, at least not when they were children. More prone to expecting them to be independent rather than holding their hand every step of the way. It a lot of ways they were too hands-off. They expected too much independence.

That is why Malcolm was utterly baffled by the fact that his new family seemed to think him incapable of surviving without them.

Gil was obsessed with feeding him. Every time Malcolm turned around, there was Gil with something more to eat. Every single time. Sandwiches for lunch, invitations to dinner, bring pastries to work for “the whole group” but really meaning Malcolm in particular.

As if that wasn’t bad enough there was also Dani with her refusal to leave him alone ever. She took him home every night. She picked him up for work every day. If he so much as stepped out of the office to go buy a cup of coffee she would go with him. Usually with an excuse about wanting another one to or about him getting the wrong one if he got it for her.

It was JT that was the biggest surprise though. Malcolm had always figured that it was at most a grudging respect for him. As it turns out, JT expressed affection through grumpiness and teasing. Once Malcolm had figured that out the rest of if sort of made sense. Sort of. He still wasn’t sure about JT’s sudden insistence on trying to help him find a treatment for his night terrors. As much as he liked the doting, (he did like the doting) he wasn’t so sure that burning sage would help.

Although the melatonin had helped him sleep more soundly and made the dreams much less intense. He did have to give him that. However, the TENS unit had been a horrible idea.

All of this added to the fact that Malcolm thought he was being treated like a child or an adorable puppy that had wandered into the precinct, and now they were all taking care of it. Which is why he had decided he was going to have a talk with them about the over-protective behavior.

He lured them into their meeting room with coffee and pastries and then closed the blinds. Gil had given him an odd look but allowed him to do so. JT had been focused on the pastries and Dani had been focused on the coffee. Which made it the perfect time to launch into his speech.

“I love you all to bits. Seriously, you’re my family and I adore you, but you’re making me nuts. I can’t go to the bathroom without one of you walking me there. I have eaten more food with you guys than all of the rest of my life combined. JT, I love that you are trying to help with the night terrors, and I appreciate it, I really do, but half of these things are pure hokum. Seriously, guys, I love you to pieces, but I can’t deal with this anymore.”

There was silence as they all looked at him. it was broken by JT speaking his own piece.

“Tough shit. You’re my little brother and I get to try and help you any way that I want to and can. So, what if half of them are hokum? The other half isn’t. Some of them haven’t helped, but some of them have. A hundred failed ideas are worth just one that helps you. Just one that makes your life better or easier. I’m not stopping and you can’t make me.”

Malcolm stared at him for a moment, perplexed. He hadn’t thought this scenario out. He’d figured that once he had said his part that they would all back off. He hadn’t counted on them not backing down. Gil shot JT a look and then started to talk himself.

“I think what JT means is that we love you, Malcolm. We want to look after you and protect you.”

“Yeah, because that is what family does for each other,” Dani said. “They’re overprotective and they drive you up the wall with it. But that means that they’re there for you when you need it the most. When the psycho has beaten you up or a killer has locked you in a dark closet. That’s what family is.”

“And I know that you don’t really understand family Malcolm. You don’t get why we feel we need to do these things for you when you can get by without them. So, we are going to do our level best to show you why _we_ need to do them. Why _we_ can’t sleep without them. Because we can’t Malcolm. So yes, Dani is going to go with you everywhere to keep crazy people from killing you. JT is going to try every possible cure for night terrors every known to mankind until he finds something that works. And I am going to put so much food inside of you that you may explode. And kiddo, there is nothing you can do to stop us.”

Malcolm looked back at them, tears filling his eyes. He reached up to brush them away and Gil opened his arms. Malcolm pushed himself into the warmth and hid his face. Allowing even more tears to leak out of his eyes. Dani smiled at the sight of them and took out her phone snapping a couple of pictures.

JT shot her a look. “Send me a few copies of those too. My mom’s been dying to have a picture of Malcolm since I brought him home. Not sure that there could be a better one to give her.”

Malcolm laughed at their conversation and stepped back. “Guess I really am your family, aren’t I? Never going to be rid of you now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comment or kudos if you liked it.


End file.
